Turkeys For 2013

[Shelshanam]

The Oats are a good idea if there was a way to keep there protien levels up as far as intake.
I have thrown oatmeal out for the Turkeys and Chickens to eat that was left overs and they will fight over it like crack addicks they love it and some times fights break out LOL.

Yeah there is always that protein fight! I have the same fight when trying to feed my goats but the oatmeal makes a good source of fiber and used as a scratch with some rice bran might be a good alternative to a hen scratch since I can't find anything in my area that has organic non-gmo corn.

 

[Celie]

No, I don't have any horses or any animals that eat oats. I guess my goat and sheep could benefit from the oats. I think I'm going to try that. Thanks for the tip about oats.
You are not hijacking at all. We're having a good open discussion for everyone. So fire away.
LOL @ taste off. Sounds good to me. CONGRATS on the first egg!!!!!!!!!

I"m not sure if mine are fertile or not, so that's why I have been making scrammbled turkey eggs and omelets.

I saw your sheep on La Layers and I'm in love! If you decide to sell some spring lambs, keep me in mind?
Did you check for fertility, before you scrambled those turkey eggs? Girl, I'm gonna have to come to Opelousas and get those eggs and fire up the incubator, before you eat them all!!LOL

The Oats are a good idea if there was a way to keep there protein levels up as far as intake.
I have thrown oatmeal out for the Turkeys and Chickens to eat that was left overs and they will fight over it like crack addicks they love it and some times fights break out LOL.

Oat crack addicts, Frank you crack me up! LOL

Yeah there is always that protein fight! I have the same fight when trying to feed my goats but the oatmeal makes a good source of fiber and used as a scratch with some rice bran might be a good alternative to a hen scratch since I can't find anything in my area that has organic non-gmo corn.

I know. I hate the thought of GMO anything. I might try to find room in the garden for a small plot of field(dent) corn, but that would mean no sweet corn for us! Unless?.........I could find some that has a different tasseling time or plant a month later, since corn can be planted from Feb. 15th till the end of March???? Then along with growing sunflower seeds for the rabbits, I can put in a few more rows for the birds, too? Hmmmmm?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Thanks Celie. I'll send you a PM about the sheep. I just love my sheep. They are a great group. When people see them out in the yard without being inside a fence, they always stop me and tell me my sheep are out and they will run away. I just laugh and tell them that they are tame and they ain't going nowhere. They know they eat good good good at my house. My family and friends tease me and say I have 4H sheep because they know how good I take care of them and the rest of my animals.

I butcher a young ram once a year. I take him to the butcher in Eunice and they process it for me and I usually bring home about 120 lbs of meat and put int he freezer. It lasts me about a year and then the next year I get another one and do the same thing. You talk about some good eatin'.

There is a mexican guy that comes to my house religiously EVERY single year to buy a ram. He just smiles when I open the door and says, "You know what I want." And I say yes and I show him his ram for the year. He and his family and friends cook a lamb in their ground pit. I want a pit in the ground to cook a lamb too.

Yes, the eggs are fertile. I will start collecting this weekend. I usually just eat the first few because I LOVE ME SOME TURKEY EGGS!!!!!!!! It's a treat to me.

 

[ruralmom]

We had a very successful year with our Beltville Whites. Our hen layed 3 clutches of about 12-17 eggs to each clutch and considering she was a first time mom, we ended up raising 22 to adulthood. Still have the parents and four of their offspring and a friend has the other 17. They free range at our ranch and have done very well and have had no losses to the turkeys. Skunk got all of my call ducks. I would like to get some Merriams this year. I do not plan to cross with the Beltvilles but would like a flock to forage around our place. We have alot of acres and 'inventory' they can roost and nest in and around. Last spring the hen layed her nest under old tractor tires and an A frame of old srape iron. So if there is anyone out there that know of a Merriam source please pass the info my way. I would like to stay away from the hatcheries but will use them if I have to.

 

[kuntrygirl]

We had a very successful year with our Beltville Whites.  Our hen layed 3 clutches of about 12-17 eggs to each clutch and considering she was a first time mom, we ended up raising 22 to adulthood.  Still have the parents and four of their offspring and a friend has the other 17.  They free range at our ranch and have done very well and have had no losses to the turkeys.  Skunk got all of my call ducks.  I would like to get some Merriams this year.  I do not plan to cross with the Beltvilles but would like a flock to forage around our place.  We have alot of acres and 'inventory' they can roost and nest in and around.  Last spring the hen layed her nest under old tractor tires and an A frame of old srape iron.  So if there is anyone out there that know of a Merriam source please pass the info my way.  I would like to stay away from the hatcheries but will use them if I have to. 

Sorry to hear about your call ducks. A skunk huh? WOW! I almost forgot that skunks are predators too.

 

[Glenmar]

I have a trio of Narragansets. They have not started laying yet. This will be my first year incubating turkey eggs.
I plan to let the hens hatch some too. I don't have room for too many of these guys, so I hope to sell most of them.
We processed a Tom for Thanksgiving. He was 14 lbs. I did not think that was too bad. There was plenty for everyone.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I have a trio of Narragansets. They have not started laying yet. This will be my first year incubating turkey eggs.
I plan to let the hens hatch some too. I don't have room for too many of these guys, so I hope to sell most of them.
We processed a Tom for Thanksgiving. He was 14 lbs. I did not think that was too bad. There was plenty for everyone.

How old was your 14 lb turkey? That's about what I would need. I wouldn't want mine to be that big.

 

[Celie]

Thanks Celie. I'll send you a PM about the sheep. I just love my sheep. They are a great group. When people see them out in the yard without being inside a fence, they always stop me and tell me my sheep are out and they will run away. I just laugh and tell them that they are tame and they ain't going nowhere. They know they eat good good good at my house. My family and friends tease me and say I have 4H sheep because they know how good I take care of them and the rest of my animals.
I butcher a young ram once a year. I take him to the butcher in Eunice and they process it for me and I usually bring home about 120 lbs of meat and put int he freezer. It lasts me about a year and then the next year I get another one and do the same thing. You talk about some good eatin'.

There is a mexican guy that comes to my house religiously EVERY single year to buy a ram. He just smiles when I open the door and says, "You know what I want." And I say yes and I show him his ram for the year. He and his family and friends cook a lamb in their ground pit. I want a pit in the ground to cook a lamb too.

Yes, the eggs are fertile. I will start collecting this weekend. I usually just eat the first few because I LOVE ME SOME TURKEY EGGS!!!!!!!!

It's a treat to me.

How many lambs do your sheep usually Have, 1 or 2 ? You have my mouth watering now !

My brothers built a cement pit in my Mom's backyard, years ago, about 3 or 4 foot square and covered it with a removable grate. We used to have big BBQs and roast a side of pork or a suckling pig in it. They would get a piece of chicken wire to tie around the meat and use a couple pieces of re-bar through the middle to use as handles for 2 people to turn it over. It was easy to make and worked great. The grate just covered it when it wasn't being used so nobody would stumble on it. Later one of my brothers , who has a fabrication shop made a Cajun microwave, which was portable. Microwave, my eye, it took me 24 hours to roast a pig in it, but it was soooooo good !

The only turkey eggs I eat are the ones that have a hairline crack, so I can't sell or hatch them, but I only had 2 turkey hens, then, now with a dozen hens???? They are good, aren't they?

How old was your 14 lb turkey? That's about what I would need. I wouldn't want mine to be that big.

I think turkeys have to grow their body structure (bones, etc.) and that seams to take 9 months or so, then they fatten up and put on weight, or so it seems to me. So if you want a small, meaty turkey, you may want a smaller growing turkey. From 9 months to their mature size, they seem to put on the meat. Before 9 months, they seem to have less meat on a large frame. I don't know this is so with all breeds, but it is something I observed. I'll know more after our Turkey egg swap to see which breed tastes best!

I'm getting hungry again!

 

[Arielle]

Kuntry girl---- very rsourceful of you to build a reasonable shelter given the circumstances. I keep my BR girls penned with the tom to prevent such stories from happening here. THey would be bothered by the coyote or fox.

Cooper--- never a dumb question! My birds free range which means they follow us around. Often the 30 poults will run after me as I head to the car; and when I close the door they wonder where I went. Makes it nice to get up close and personal to touch and handle them. Had a wild bronze hen visiting over the spring/summer, always in a tree over head or running in the wood; yesterday TWO were among the flock like they lived with us. Until I tried to catch them, still thinking they were drop offs, they flew over the house and b ack , into the bog pine.

Debbi-- I looked into breeding a BBW hen to a heritage tom. Very doable. Should add some fast growing genes to the pool for better growth rate. I have Br, narri, and auburns and sweetwaters. THe 3 month old poults run together and I"m not seeing much difference among the group at all.

THe duck weed sounds interesting. WOnder if it can be grown in an old bathtub? We did grow an ornamental pond plant in the kiddie pool one year, frogs moved in too, a mini pond. My muscovy are great at diggin under the leave litter and getting goodies; just a different method than the hens.


Love this thread; so much to learn from each other.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Kuntry girl---- very rsourceful of you to build a reasonable shelter given the circumstances.  I keep my BR girls penned with the tom to prevent such stories from happening here. THey would be  bothered by the coyote or fox.

Cooper--- never a dumb question!   My birds free range which means they follow us around. Often the 30 poults will run after me as I head to the car; and when I close the door they wonder where I went. Makes it nice to get up close and personal to touch and handle them. Had a wild bronze hen visiting over the spring/summer, always in a tree over head or running in the wood; yesterday TWO were among the flock like they lived with us. Until I tried to catch them, still thinking they were drop offs,  they flew over the house and b ack , into the bog pine. 

Debbi-- I looked into breeding a BBW hen to a heritage tom. Very doable. Should add some fast growing genes to the pool for better growth rate.  I have Br, narri, and auburns and sweetwaters.  THe 3 month old poults run together and I"m not seeing much difference among the group at all. 

THe duck weed sounds interesting. WOnder if it can be grown in an old bathtub?  We did grow an ornamental pond plant in the kiddie pool one year, frogs moved in too, a mini pond. My muscovy are great at diggin under the leave litter and getting goodies; just a different method than the hens. 


Love this thread; so much to learn from each other. 

Thanks. I am lucky that we don't have any predators. If we did, I would have to lock all of mine up.